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Government Responds To Archer Inquiry
The Government today responded to the independent inquiry into contaminated blood supplies in the 1970s and 1980s.

Reps. Ryan, DeLauro To Introduce Bill To Reduce Need For Abortion
Reps. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) on Thursday will be joined by leaders of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and NARAL Pro-Choice America in announcing the latest version of a bill that aims to reduce the need for abortion by preventing unintended pregnancies, among other measures, Time reports (Sullivan, Time, 7/23). Ryan and DeLauro first introduced a version of the bill in 2006 (Crary, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 7/22). However, this version "represents a dramatic break from nearly four decades" of political debate since Roe v. Wade, as both conservative antiabortion-rights groups and abortion-rights advocates have expressed support, according to Time (Time, 7/23).The bill would increase support for comprehensive sex education programs, improve access to contraception, expand Medicaid family planning coverage, increase programs for pregnant or parenting college students, and expand adoption assistance. The Congressional Budget Office has not yet conducted a cost-analysis of the bill, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 7/22). In developing the bill, Ryan sought the help of Rachel Laser, director of culture programs at the policy and strategy think-tank Third Way. According to Time, Laser worked with advocates on both sides and modified the bill to help gather their support, while preventing the measure from becoming "uselessly watered down or split into two."DeLauro noted, "We had to reach a level of trust" with people on both sides and allow them time to become more receptive to the bill"s goals, adding, "Because so often this issue has been one about which there was nothing other than trying to score political points." DeLauro said she hopes the Obama administration will look to the bill for guidance as it crafts its strategy for reducing the need for abortion and preventing unintended pregnancies. President Obama is expected to make an announcement about the plan next month, according to Time (Time, 7/23).DeLauro and Ryan also noted that Rahm Emanuel, Obama"s chief of staff, endorsed an earlier version of the bill when he served in the House, which they hope could mean that Obama would support their measure. DeLauro said, "This is a bill that seems to mesh with the president"s interests," adding, "I see no reason why the White House could not endorse it."Joshua DuBois, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, said the administration is still reviewing the information it has gathered in recent meetings with representatives on both sides of the abortion debate.Laurie Rubiner, director of Planned Parenthood"s Washington, D.C., office, said "This isn"t a radical bill," adding, "It only seems radical because it"s been so long that we could have a constructive conversation ... with both pro-choice and anti-choice groups around the table."The Rev. Joel Hunter -- an antiabortion-rights evangelical pastor in Orlando, Fla., who serves on the White House Faith-Based Advisory Council -- called the bill "a landmark bill for the culture wars -- a prototype for how we can approach things in the future." He said the bill"s strengths were in its appeals to both liberal and conservative beliefs, adding, "When you realize you need someone who"s been an adversary to help you advance your own projects, that"s a big deal" (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 7/22).
News of the day
Juggling Cells Using High-Precision Laser Tweezers
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have developed a new method to study single cells while exposing them to controlled environmental changes. The unique method, where a set of laser tweezers move the cell around in a microscopic channel system, allows the researchers to study how single cells react to stress induced by a constantly changing environment.
Endocrinology

Women Vets Don't Always Get Privacy At Veterans Affairs Clinics

Kaiser Veterans Affairs hospitals and outpatient clinics under review are not always complying fully with federal privacy requirements, often exposing women when they bathe or receive exams, according to government auditors, The Associated Press reports. "GAO investigators found that many VA facilities had gynecological tables that faced the door - including one door that opened to a waiting room. It also found instances where women had to walk through a waiting area to use the restroom, instead of it being next to an exam room as required by VA policy. At four hospitals investigators visited, women were not guaranteed access to a private bathing facility. In two of those cases, there wasn"t a lock on the door. Female veterans told the Senate Veterans" Affairs committee that VA workers need to be better educated about combat situations that women face in the two ongoing wars. Beyond privacy concerns, there are other issues as well, they said, such as a lack of child care at VA hospitals and difficulty in finding diaper-changing tables." Last year the VA provided care to more than 281,000 women veterans, a 12 percent increase from 2006 (Hefling, 7/14). CNN: "But Veterans Affairs faces hurdles in its efforts to improve its services and facilities, the department"s chief consultant for women"s medical care testified before Congress on Tuesday. "Moving to a more comprehensive primary care delivery model could challenge VA clinicians, who may have dealt predominantly with male veterans and sometimes have little or no exposure to female patients," said Patricia Hayes of the department"s Women"s Veterans Health Strategic Healthcare Group. Only one-third of veterans" facilities offer a separate space for women to receive gynecological, mental health and social work services, according to Hayes. There is a goal to have a gynecologist available at every facility by 2012, she said" (Levine, 7/14). Five female veterans testified before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Tuesday, McClatchy Newspapers/The Miami Herald reports: "The five veterans said women sometimes aren"t properly informed upon discharge that health benefits are still available. They described how dealing with government is frustrating and confusing, and that often their unique needs, such as child care and sexual assault counseling, aren"t understood by government officials. "I looked to the VA for help when I most needed it, but never succeeded in completing my enrollment, let alone actually receiving the care I needed," said Genevieve Chase, the founder and executive director of the American Women Veterans organization. ò€¦ In May, the committee approved the Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act, designed to address these problems. The full Senate has yet to take any action on the bill." The House of Representatives in June approved similar legislation. "The Senate bill, introduced by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., would require the department to study barriers to health care for female veterans, train more psychiatrists to treat PTSD sufferers and provide care for newborns" (Wells, 7/14). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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